The finalists for the 2023 Heisman Trophy were announced on Monday. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was not among them.

Three quarterbacks, including Oregon’s Bo Nix, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Washington’s Michael Penix were announced as finalists for the award, along with one wide receiver in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr.

Milroe was not thought to be a frontrunner to win the award. However, with his recent performances, he had a chance to be a finalist.

On Sunday, during a Rose Bowl media teleconference, Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked whether he thought Milroe was a Heisman finalist.

“I don’t get the opportunity to watch all these other guys on a consistent basis, so it’s not fair for me to make a comparison,” Saban said. “But from our team’s standpoint, he’s certainly a Heisman candidate in terms of what he’s done to help our team be successful.”

Milroe fully turned his season around after struggling in a Week 2 loss to Texas. The next week, at South Florida, he didn’t play, with Tyler Buchner starting and Ty Simpson seeing heavy action in the second half.

Alabama limped to a victory over the Bulls, and for SEC play, Saban made Milroe the man. The redshirt sophomore responded in a big way.

Milroe led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated SEC record. Alabama currently stands at 12-1 on the season, after beating Georgia 27-24 in Saturday’s SEC championship game in Atlanta, after which Milroe was named the game’s MVP.

After the Georgia game, Milroe has thrown for 2,718 yards this season, along with 23 touchdowns. He’s also scrambled for 12 scores.

The quarterback was named second-team all-SEC on Monday. He also earned team awards as Alabama’s most valuable player and most inspiring player.

“Jalen has done a fantastic job for us,” Saban said on a Rose Bowl teleconference. “His transition and improvement as a player has certainly been a huge factor on the success of our team.”

The Heisman Trophy ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT Saturday in New York. It will be aired on ESPN.